Kinetics and mechanism of oxidation of some substituted benzyl alcohols by polymer supported reagent

The reactions between substituted benzyl alcohols is found to proceed through ester formation. The ester thus formed decomposes in a slow step to produce chromium(IV). Since the oxidant under study was supported on a polymeric material the intermediate chromium (IV) will further oxidise another molecule of alcohol generating a free radical in a fast step. The free radical subsequently reacts with another oxidant site in the polymeric reagent in a fast step leading to the formation of chromium(V). The intermediate chromium(V) in the last step reacts with alcohol to produce aldehyde. The activation parameters were also determined and a mechanism is predicted.